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The Manager

Company Files

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, yes, but Management at times can get *slightly* miffed at repeated (read: incessant) employee demands and workplace observations. K.Lo, bless her little heart, tends to get stuck on a phrase in the manner of a broken record until The Manager acknowledges, YES, I see what you are talking about. There it is. And then there's the aforementioned problem of the FAEV. Combined, Broken Record Syndrome (BRS) and the FAEV are a formidable communication tactic.

The trouble comes in addressing the squeaky wheel, and here I invite you to contribute your own ideas. What response would be most effective in addressing a two-year employee who is stuck on "repeat?" How do you respond to behaviors in the workplace that push your buttons.

6
peanuts:

I know just what you are talking about. The best approach is just to try to acknowledge and praise initially, so the phrase doesn't get repeated for long and with increasing volume and urgency [whining], right? But, I know we have other duties to tend to and can't always drop what we are doing immediately. I just try to *calmly* and with authority explain to the young employee that she needs to knock on my door first, rather than just bust in - I am still the manager around here and while I try to be friendly, I can't always be your friend. It's a tough-love job, but that's the position we are in and they'll be better for knowing the "rules" and protocol early on, right?

Do employees receive a hearing screening during their annual physical? Just to make sure the FAEV isn't unintentional.

Otherwise, perhaps a reading of the training manual "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" might be appropriate, followed by an explanation that we want to save our emergency voice for emergencies, otherwise, the manager won't be able to tell when the employee has a REAL emergency.

Can you bargain? Like, when the blue crayon comment gets repeated for the second or third time, say, "Employee, I will now address your issue with the blue crayon. After that, you must let the manager get back to work."

Sometimes, when Eva wants Dillon to eat a vegetable, she'll trade him a Craisin. Maybe you just need to figure out your bargaining chip - like what exchange will make the employee adhere to ceasing the BRV/FAEV?